The Oct. 26 issue of the Swiss journal Zeitgeschehen im Focus published a Harald Kujat and Hajo Funke’s detailed review. “How a Promising Peace Settlement in the Ukraine War Was Prevented,” of the failed Ukraine-Russia peace talks of 2022, exposing the Western sabotage. The co-authors particularly refer to former Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett, who co-initiated the first round of talks, saying that a ceasefire was within reach at the time, and both sides were willing to make significant concessions. But the British Empire and the United States, in particular, had ended the process and set their sights on continuing the war, which Bennett thought was wrong.
Kujat and Funke reprint the The Istanbul Communiqué of March 29, 2022, which was the result of the Erdogan-mediated talks in Istanbul, in full text:
“Proposal 1: Ukraine declares itself a neutral state and promises to remain non-aligned and to refrain from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for international legal guarantees. Possible guarantor states include Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, France, Turkey, Germany, Canada, Italy, Poland, and Israel, but other states would also be welcome to join the treaty.
“Proposal 2: These international security guarantees for Ukraine would not extend to Crimea, Sevastopol, or certain areas in the Donbas. The parties to the treaty would have to define the boundaries of these areas or agree that each party understands these boundaries differently.
“Proposal 3: Ukraine commits not to join any military coalition and not to host any foreign military bases or troop contingents. Any international military exercises would be possible only with the consent of the guarantor states. For their part, the Guarantor States confirm their intention to promote Ukraine’s membership in the European Union.
“Proposal 4: Ukraine and the Guarantor States agree that (in the event of aggression, armed attack against Ukraine, or military operation against Ukraine) each of the Guarantor States, after urgent and immediate mutual consultations (to be held within three days) on the exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defense (as recognized in Article 51 of the UN Charter), will provide assistance (in response to and on the basis of an official appeal by Ukraine) to Ukraine as a permanently neutral state under attack. Such assistance will be facilitated by the immediate implementation of necessary individual or joint measures, including the closure of Ukrainian airspace, the provision of necessary weapons, and the use of armed force with the aim of restoring and then maintaining the security of Ukraine as a permanently neutral state.
“Proposal 5: Any such armed attack (any military operation at all) and any measures taken in response to it will be immediately reported to the UN Security Council. These measures will cease as soon as the UN Security Council has taken the necessary measures to restore and maintain international peace and security.
